Page 222 of Tangled with the Tight End
“Yes?”
“No, man,” Linc says. “We want to see you and Winona together. She’s good for you.”
My lips thin into a line. I nod, but I don’t say anything else. Linc hands me back my headphones and everyone settles in.
A lot of the guys sleep on the charter flight home. My head swims with thoughts of Winona and what the guys said.
The one piece of Coach’s halftime talk keeps running through my mind: Stop trying to force the big plays.
Maybe I shouldn’t have walked off the field.
Chapter 37
Declan
Self-forgiveness is often not even possible ...
until we have in some way
made amends to those we've injured.
~ Tara Brach
Patrick shows up to my house on his day off on Monday. I’ve been at the facility for a few hours and now I’m back in the cavernous quiet of my home.
“Congrats on the win,” Patrick says, leaning back into the barstool at my counter.
“Thanks. It’s good to be back.”
“So … life’s good?”
“If you’re asking about Winona, no. Life is not good. It’s hard. I hate it. Life is empty. I may never get over her. You happy?”
He stares at me from across the kitchen island, his arms crossed over his chest. “Why’d you do it, then?”
“Simply to protect her. If Daisy were in a fire, would you leave her in the building?”
“No. Of course not. I’d risk everything to save her. I’d throw her over my shoulder and get her out.”
“That’s what I did. Winona was in the fire. I pulled her out.”
“And she decided it was a good idea to break up? This was her idea too?”
“I told her what I thought was best. She didn’t argue.”
“So you decided for her?”
I’m quiet, picturing the day I told her it was over.
Winona seemed to go along with me.
But did I leave her room to disagree?
“You’re acting like she couldn't handle being criticized,” Patrick says.
“She was miserable.”
“Yeah. Because she loves you. Not because she's weak.” Patrick shakes his head. “If she had wanted to leave, she would have. She was choosing to stay. She knew what life with you entailed, and she chose you anyway.”
